


Pride of lions

by TheViolinGirl



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Childhood shenanigans, Childish love confessions, Gen, Modern AU, Nightmares, Playdates, childhood events, good dad gilbert, happy family stuff AU, parenting, swimming lessons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:00:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29062470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheViolinGirl/pseuds/TheViolinGirl
Summary: A collection of wholesome and funny family moments for the blue lions (or back when they were lion cubs).
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic & Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Dedue Molinaro, Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Marianne von Edmund & Hilda Valentine Goneril
Kudos: 3





	1. Night frights and day trips

**Author's Note:**

> I'll add tags as we go 'kay?

Imperial year 1163,a few days after Annette's birth.

"She's so small" Gilbert said as he stroked his newborn daughter's cheek as she lay in her mother's arms,fast asleep.

"yeah,right?" His wife agreed as she gave her daughter a gentle kiss.

Annette reached out one of her tiny hands from the blanket she was wrapped in and started sucking on it as if she were hungry for food.

"Guess she's hungry now" Gilbert's wife mused.

"I'll leave you two in privacy while you breastfeed her okay?" Gilbert replied as he turned to the door.

Imperial year 1167,night time

The monster comes closer to Annette,she tries to run and hide but can't because the monster's already grabbed her by the collar of her dress.

"Lemme go!" Annette pleaded as she kicked and flailed.

The monster opened its gigantic mouth,revealing razor sharp teeth inside.

Suddenly,Gilbert and his wife were awoken by a high-pitched shriek coming from Annette's room.

They rushed in to the sight of Annette gripping her blanket tight and screaming as if she had a nightmare.

"MAMA! DADA!" Annette wailed as she leapt off her bed and rushed to their embrace which they warmly returned.

"Nightmare?" Her mom asked.

"yeah" Annette blubbered through tears as she nestled herself tighter into her mother's arms.

Her mother felt Annette's backside - it was wet because she wet the bed in her sleep (probably from that nightmare).  
"Oh no,you wet the bed,Annie" She gently said.

Gilbert went and got a new set of Annette's underwear and pj's from her dresser and gave them to his wife.

"I'll wash you up and tonight you'll sleep with me ain't that great?" Her mother told her as she took Annette to the bathroom to wash her up and change her clothes as Gilbert took care of Annie's wet sheets.

Annette's mom quickly washed her up and changed her into a new set of clothes as Gilbert went back to their room to get his beauty sleep.

"Mama...zzz" Annette mumbled in her sleep as she clung to her mother like a koala as she carried her to their bedroom.

"Fast asleep,I see" Gilbert teased as he pulled the covers on him.

"Goodnight sweetie" She kissed their daughter goodnight as they slept together,Annette curling up like a tiny meatball in her mother's arms.

"She used to look like a pig-in-a-blanket when she was just born" Gilbert said to himself as the trio drifted off to sleep.

Imperial year 1168,day

"WAAAAAHHH!! DADA!! PLEASE DON'T GO!" Annette pleaded as she clung to her father's leg as he tried to leave the house for a business trip.

"Daddy's got to go now,sweetie" Gilbert calmly stated to his daughter as he walked out of the door as if Annette weren't clinging to his leg.

Gilbert's pocket vibrated as he heard his phone ring,he whipped it out and saw that Rodrigue was calling him.

"Oy! Gil! when are ya gonna be here,the meeting's gonna start any minute now" Rodrigue spoke through the phone as Annette let out an ear-piercing scream through the other side.

"I'll be there soon" Gilbert replied as he plucked Annette from his leg and gave her a hug before taking the car to the seiros office block.

"WAAAAAAAHHHH! DADA!!!" Annette wailed as she flopped on the front porch for a few more moments before going back inside.

***

"Mama...I miss dada" Annette sniffled through tears as she rest in her mother's arms before bed

The two were startled by her mother's ringtone sounding from the lounge,they went to see who was calling.

'Gilbert wants to facetime you' the screen displayed as her mother picked up.

"Hi,sweetie!" Gilbert waved to his daughter through the phone.

"Dada! I miss you!" Annette beamed as she leaned over the phone to talk.

"what did you have for dinner?" Gilbert asked his daughter and wife.

"We had fried chicken - Annie's favourite" His wife replied as she put curlers into her onyx locks.

"I'm going outta town for a few days,I'll buy you a souvenir when i get back" Gilbert concluded the conversation.

"Goodnight Dada" Annette said as she kissed her father goodnight through the phone screen.

"Goodnight sweetheart" Gilbert replied before hanging up


	2. Tooth fairy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid loses a tooth with some "help" from her brother in a game of soccer

"Ingrid! Let's play football" Harold - Ingrid's big brother spoke up as he sped out the door in his cleats.

"Coming!" Ingrid replied.

"Aren't you going to change first" Her mother asked her as Ingrid herself was wearing a teal dress with leggings - not the best attire for football if ya ask me.

"Nope!" Ingrid replied as she quickly slipped on her shoes.

"Don't forget to buckle them properly!" Freya - Ingrid's older sister yelled after her little sis,who usually doesn't do the velcro on her shoes properly.

"Alright! I'll be the best goalie for you,brother" Ingrid beamed as she took her position between two potted roses that served as a makeshift goalpost for their game of soccer.

"READY?!?" Harold yelled as he ran up to kick the ball.

"Here it comes!" He yelled as he kicked the ball toward Ingrid at full force.

Ingrid leapt to catch the ball,but miscalculated her jump - the ball smacking her square in the face - earning her a knocked-out tooth and a bloody nose afterwards.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!! MOMMY!!!!!! HAROLD BROKE MY FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ingrid shrieked so loud that the whole house could hear her.

"Ingrid?!?" Her mother exclaimed in worry as she sprang from her seat upon hearing her daughter's screams outside.

She came to a scene of Ingrid on the grass with her right fist closed around something and her face and dress all bloody and grass-stained.

"B-Blood...everywhere..." Ingrid whimpered through tears as the nosebleed from the ball gushed from her nose.

"Your tooth! It's gone!" Her mother exclaimed in shock upon seeing a hole in her daughter's line of teeth.

"It's here" Ingrid explained as she opened her hand,revealing a small tooth inside as her mother pinched her nose with a handkerchief to stop the nosebleed and pressed a gauze pad onto where her tooth used to be and told her to bite on it for a moment.

"I'll take you to the hospital so the doctor can check on it okay?" Her mother explained as she scooped her daughter up while the rest of the family got in the car.

"Sorry,Ingie" Harold mumbled as they drove to the hospital.

"Hmph" Ingrid pouted in her carseat,hand still holding her tooth.

**********

The doctor checked Ingrid out and she was totally okay - aside from a tear-streaked face.

*********************

"Will the tooth fairy come to take my tooth?" Ingrid asked before bed.

"Yes,dear.but she only visits kids who sleep well and soundly" Her mom explained as she tucked Ingrid into her teal/green sheets.

"I'm gonna make us rich from a single tooth!" Ingrid beamed as her mother kissed her goodnight.

"Okay,sweet dreams!" Her mom called as she turned off the lights and left the room.


	3. Just in time!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rodrigue struggles to make it back to his family for christmas after a blizzard threatens to break down his car and strand him in the middle of nowhere along with Lambert and Gilbert.
> 
> Will they get to see their families for christmas?

Snow swirled outside the car as the sky was painted a pretty ombre while Rodrigue tried to maneuver the car safely back home and drop off his pals along the way.

Gilbert felt his pocket vibrate as his phone rang,he reached into his pocket and the phone displayed 'wife wants to facetime you',which he readily picked up.

"DADDY!!!" A voice screamed through the speakers the moment he picked up.

"Hi,sweetie,how are you.been good to your mom?" GIlbert spoke through the phone as the car drove down the roads.

"I miss you...promise you'll be back in time for christmas?" Annette cheerfully replied as she took her mother's phone and sashayed around the room to show off her red and white dress to her father,who was still in a car with his dad friends.

Suddenly the phone slipped from Annette's hands and dropped to the floor,the camera going crazy as it dropped.

"Oops!" Annette shrieked as her mother ran in at the sound.

"ANNETTE FANTINE DOMINIC! DID YOU DROP MY PHONE?!?!?!" Her mother bellowed at her as tears welled up in the small girl's eyes.

"It's fine if the screen isn't cracked" Gilbert calmed his wife down at the situation as his wife picked up the phone to engage in some banter with him.

"Hi! Darling" She chirped through the phone,instantly calmed down by her husband's presence,as Annette faced the wall in the background in time-out from dropping the phone.

"Hi,I see you threw some shade at our lil' kiddo from the phone fiasco earlier" He teased as he heard an alarm go off from the phone and saw Annette leaping up from the corner and cheering "My time-out's OVER!!".

"Miss you more and more every passing minute" His wife mused as Annette toddled over to take a look and listen in.

"Love you too,darling" Gilbert replied as he could just make out Annette going 'ewwww...mommy and daddy are doing lovey-lovey stuff again' before hanging up.

"you sure have a dynamic and lively family" Lambert teased his friend.

"you think that's lively? I have meself two rowdy boys and they fight every other day!" Rodrigue chuckled from behind the wheel as he drove through the cities and towns.

Lambert also got a call from Dimitri via his wife's phone,His phone displaying 'Wife wants to facetime you'.He quickly picked up.

"DADDY!!!" Dimitri wailed through the phone as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"When are y-y-you gonna be home?" He sniffled through the phone as he sat himself on one of the sofas back at home.

"Daddy's gonna be home soon,sonny.I promise" Lambert warmly stated to his son as Rodrigue put the pedal to the medal,the car going 'NYOOM!!' on the road and the stereo in the car boomed some rock music.

"WAUGH!!" Lambert and Gilbert exclaimed as the car jolted forward,Lambert dropping his phone with his son still on the line.

"Daddy! are you okay?" Dimitri screamed through the phone as Rodrigue zoomed the car on the icy road as snow swirled around the car.

"Nearly there,y'all" Rodrigue announced as the car approached their neighboorhood.

Rodrigue dropped his friends off at their houses before rearing up in the Fraldarius driveway as snowflakes gently glided down around him.

"DADDY!" Felix wailed as he leapt into his father's arms,sniffling and crying.

"He's been crying ever since he thought you'd be late" Glenn teased as Felix clung onto their father like a baby koala.

"Am not,stop lying about me" Felix retorted,voice still shaking.

"The feast just started,darling" Ms. Fraldarius called as she seated Felix in his high-chair and tied a bib around his neck.

"Let's eat!" Glenn suggested as he took a little of everything onto his plate.

"Merry christmas everyone" Rodrigue raised a glass at the statement.

They all engaged in chatter and feasted on the delicacies - even after Felix and Glenn were put to bed.

For Felix,this was one of the best christmases he could recall.


	4. You have visitors!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercie is sick with a stomach bug,constance and hapi comes to visit hoping to play with her.
> 
> Or...things get really bad and Mercie is admitted to hospital and is visited by Constance and Hapi.

Something wasn't right today in the Martritz household,Mercedes was still in bed even though it was 9:30 in the morning - at this time she'd usually be on a bike ride with her friends or playing in the yard like most 5-year-olds do.Nope,today was different from other days.

"BLEAUGHHH" Mercedes moaned as she vomited onto her bedroom floor,staining the carpet with a disgusting olive green and almond-colored amalgamation and filling the room with a horrible stench as she flopped over onto her bed - dangerously dehydrated and exhausted.

"Mercie?" Her mother called as she took the dirty carpet to the washing machine and opened the windows for fresh air.

"hhhnnnnn..." was all Mercie could reply to her mother due to her depleted energy as she lay on her bed sprawled out like a deerskin rug.

Her mother quickly noticed that her mouth was parched and her cheeks are sunken - dangerous signs that she was dehydrated.

****  
Meanwhile,Constance and Hapi were skipping to Mercie's house for a much-awaited playdate.

"We're gonna play fairy princesses with Mercie today!" Constance cheerfully stated as her fairy costume sparkled in the sunlight - the magenta sequins and the pink tulle catching the morning sun.

"I'm the handsome fairy prince" Hapi stated with a king-like tone in her voice.

"You can't be a prince! You're not a boy!" Constance replied at her friend's statement.

Finally the two girls arrived at the Martritz' household.Hapi rang the doorbell as Constance stared up the beautiful glass panes of their front door.

Suddenly the door swung open as Mercie's mother opened it with one hand and hauled a very sick Mercie with traces of vomit around her mouth with the other hand.

"Whoa,Mercie,what happened to you." Hapi asked in shock upon seeing her friend's disheveled state.

"Mercie! Mercie! wanna play?" Constance asked,jumping up and down in an attempt to get her friend's attention.

Mercie weakly shaked her head - messy blonde locks draping her shoulders as she limped on her mother's shoulder.

"I'm taking her to the hospital,okay? you two go home for now" Her mother called as she strapped Mercie into her carseat as her husband got behind the wheel and she herself sat in the back with Mercie,who was terribly dehydrated.

They reached the hospital as they rushed to the emergency room with Mercie in their arms.

"She's been like this for a few days now,It just got worse this morning" Mercie's father told the doctor as he looked at his daughter in worry.

"Hmm..." The doctor brushed off a strand of dark purple hair from her face and adjusted her glasses to get a good look at the patient.

"She's severely dehydrated,she needs an IV line in her wrist ASAP." The doctor firmly stated as she signaled to some nurses to prepare a room and an IV line with a needle for Mercedes' wrist.

"NOOO!!!! DON'T POKE MEEE!!" Mercedes wailed as soon as she realised she was gonna have an IV line in the wrist.

"this is a magic line that will give you energy and make you feel better" The doctor assured her as she slipped the line onto the young girl's wrist.

"Wha?!...done already?" Mercedes interjected as soon as she saw her wrist - still lying weakly on the bed.

Mercedes was transferred into a room in the children's ward.

*******

"Mama? can you take us to visit Mercedes in the hospital?" Constance asked her mom as Hapi packed a toy to bring to Mercedes.

"Sure,why not" Canstance's mother agreed as the girls hopped into the car.

"Excuse me,where is Mercedes' room?" Hapi asked the guy at the front desk.

"It's room 231 in the children's ward,have your mother take you two up there" the guy politely answered the little girl.

Constance and Hapi - led by Constance's mother,reached Mercedes' room.

"Mercedes! you're okay!" Constance and Hapi cheered in unison at the sight of her - albeit abit sunken and sickly.a bowl was placed beside her (the bed is quite big) in case she vomits again.

"what's the bowl for?" Hapi asked curiously.

"It's for..." Mercedes explained but was suddenly cut off as she felt the urge to vomit.

"BLLEAAARRRPP" Mercedes grabbed the bowl as she vomited out the porridge she just ate.

"I guess...that's what the bowl's for" Constance added as she backed away from Mercedes' bed.

"Eww...do you do that when you're sick?" Hapi asked,slightly disgusted at the vomit as Mercedes' mother gave her some pedialyte to keep her from getting dehydrated.

Constance unzipped her sparkly pink backpack and laid out some of her toys and some sandwiches and an apple on the nightstand.  
"This is all for mercedes" She proudly suggested.

"I'm sorry,Mercedes can't have heavy foods now.her tummy is still tired and resting from all that vomiting.

"How are sandwiches heavy?" Hapi asked in confusion as Mercedes fell asleep,tired from her illness.

"Well,the things used to cook the sandwich are hard to digest for her - but she can eat them once she gets better" Her mother explained as she gently put a hand on Mercedes' wrist.

"Let's go home and let your friend rest now,Constance" Ms.Nuvelle said as she took Constance's and Hapi's hand and led them out of the room.

************

In a few days Mercedes was well enough to get discharged and got to attend the fairy-princess ball that Constance and Hapi threw after all.


	5. Wings of love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvain draws and sends a card for someone (we'll find out soon).
> 
> His drawing skills leave much to be desired

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just preschool puppy love at its finest from my experiences.
> 
> and yes I accepted a gift from a schoolboy but not his love this valentine

"It's almost valentines day! Brother! Who should i give a card to?" Sylvain beamed as he ran to breakfast.

"Well,You do have that Galatea lass as your girlfriend already" Miklan teased as he sipped some orange juice.

"Ingie is NOT my girlfriend!" Sylvain retorted at his brother,spraying bits of cereal everywhere.

"Sylvain! don't speak with food in your mouth!" Their mother scolded as Miklan sniggered behind a comic he brought to the table.

"and you,Don't read at mealtimes young man" She also scolded Miklan.

"I'll go make some cards for the girls now!" Sylvain beamed as he leapt off his chair and sped to his room with a pack of crayons and some cardstock.

"Hmm...what card should I make for Ingie" Sylvain pondered as his hands gripped some crayons and started to doodle some pictures on the cardstock that he snuck from Miklan's school bag (It was for a project that was worth a large percentage of his GPA) hoping Miklan didn't notice (He wasn't one for handing in schoolwork on time,well not this time)

"SYLVAIN!!!!!!! WHERE'S MY CARDSTOCK FOR MY ART PROJECT!!!!!!!!!" Miklan yelled from his room as he searched his file folder for the cardstock that Sylvain snuck.

"Wasn't me, I bought it from the nearby shop yesterday when we walked home from school together" Sylvain fibbed as he hid the card and his art supplies in his teal dinosaur backpack.

"I know you did it" Miklan teased as he came into Sylvain's room.

"MOM!! MIKLAN'S IN MY ROOM WHEN I DIDN'T LET HIM!" Sylvain yelled as he tried to push Miklan out of his room.

"Miklan! Sylvain said he didn't take your cardstock,if you lost it just go buy a new one" Their mother scolded the older boy,who had a cross look on his face as he took his wallet and went out on his bike to buy more cardstock.

"Whew...that was close" Sylvain thought in relief as Miklan left and his mother went back to watching soaps on the TV.

Sylvain drew his friend Ingrid with a pegasus on the card and tried to spell 'Be my valentine' It was a phrase he had learned from kindergarten earlier in the week.

"A little here...more there...And DONE!" He said with joy at his finished work.

He took the finished card to his mother,feeling very proud of his work and excited to see Ingrid's reaction upon being gifted this card.

"Like it? is it nice?" He excitedly asked his mother for her thoughts on his masterpiece.

"It's really nice,I'm sure Ingrid would love it" She complimented him on his work.

**************************  
It's valentines day now!

"Huargh! That's handsome!" Sylvain said in a masculine tone as he dressed up in a red suit-and-tie for valentines day before doing some masculine grunts and buffing his muscles in front of the imaginary girlfriends of his in the mirror.

"Heh...Sylvain being Sylvain" Miklan teased as He put on a handsome suit and prepared his gift for his recipient,which he requested that I,the writer,keep secret.

Ingie arrived at Sylvain's house,wearing a sleeveless red dress with her hair in an elegant single braid with some fake roses clipped on the end,she also wore white socks and sparkly red shoes to match the theme.

"Sylvain! Hi!" Ingrid cheerfully waved her friend over as he prepared a short speech to say to her as he gave her the card.

"Ahem...I, Sylvain Jose Gautier,want to give you this card...as a symbol of our love and friendship...and I would also like to present you this ring...Uhm...to ask you to accept this gift from the bottom of my heart" He finished his speech,blushing as he handed her the card and a candy ring that his mother made.

"will you be my girlfriend?" Sylvain asked as he kneeled on the grass in front of Ingrid,reaching for her hand.

"Uhh...I accept the card and the ring" Ingrid replied,standing before her friend.

"But I'm not gonna be your girlfriend" She continued.

*Insert glass shattering sound*

"B-But...I..." Sylvain muttered,heartbroken as Miklan comforted him.

"My valentine was a success" Miklan teased as he brought his valentine over,one of his classmates at school.

"We can share girlfriends!" Sylvain suggested proudly.

"Just go to that Galatea lass if you want one so bad" Miklan replied.

"Sylvain! I changed my mind - I DO wanna be your girlfriend for today!" Ingrid said as she ran up to Sylvain,now wearing a loose spaghetti-strap dress with red leggings under.

"I changed so it would be easier to play with you" She explained her sudden change of clothes.

"Let's play!" Sylvain beckoned her as he ran 'round the yard.

And they all played together,Happily ever after.


	6. Cub out of water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashe and some of the lion cubs go to swimming lessons every thursday, today he has other ideas about how to spend his afternoon.
> 
> In the end, he changes his mind

"But Daaaaaad! I don't wanna go to swimming lessons today. I wanna stay home with my siblings and play with legos" Ashe complained tearfully as his dad packed his swim bag with his swim shorts and goggles.

"Son, you have to go whether you want or not. All of your friends are going today (well,except Mercedes cuz she can already swim well) and you are too" His dad sternly stated as he handed the swim bag over to his son, who was about to throw a tantrum.

"I DON'T WANNA GO TO SWIMMING LESSONS AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!!!" Ashe let out an ear-piercing scream as he tossed his swim bag to the other corner of the room and proceeded to squirm on the floor like a block of jello.

"That's a shame, you won't be able to show off your new mickey-mouse swimsuit if you don't go" His mother interjected in an attempt to persuade him to go.

"Yea...that's right! I'll go now!" Ashe stopped crying as tears turned to laughter as he picked up his swim bag, took a snack from the fridge, and raced out of the door.

"Will everyone like my swimsuit? Will the girls go all heart-eyes?" Ashe asked in the car on the way to the community pool.

"Now you're just sounding like that Gautier boy. What was his name? Sylvain?" His dad teased as he tried to recall Sylvain's name.

They arrived at the community pool, along with some of the other lion cubs and golden fawn (fawn is a word for smol deer) who were having the swim class at the same time as him.

"Oh no...I forgot my swimsuit...guess I'm not going to swim today" Hilda fibbed as she rummaged around her pink drawstring bag, deliberately avoiding her mermaid one-piece that was in the bag.

Holst gently took the bag from her hands and pulled out her swimsuit, much to Hilda's dismay and earning a whine from the little girl.

"Fine...I'll go change now" Hilda pouted as she dragged her drawstring to the changing rooms.

"ASHE! HI!!!" Annie called and waved him over, her hair already wet from taking a dip just before ashe had finished changing.

Annette led him over to the shallow end of the pool before leaping in with a splash as Ashe watched from the edge of the pool.

"Come on! jump in with me" Annette said as soon as her head emerged from the water. Beckoning ashe to jump in as well.

Ashe sat himself down on the pool edge and slowly lowered himself into the water as Byleth; their swim teacher arrived.She was sporting a black one-piece that looked very cool and had onyx goggles strapped to her head.

"Let the lesson begin" She stated in her usual monotone voice that somehow doesn't make the little kids bored as the kids clambered onto the pool edge from their little dip before lessons.

"One two three..." Byleth said as she counted heads and noticed that Hilda was missing from the group of preschoolers that she was teaching.

"Marianne? Have you seen Hilda?. What about you, Ashe, Have you seen her?" Byleth asked for Hilda's whereabouts.

"I'm Here! I'm Here!" Hilda called as she skipped to the pool in her mermaid swimsuit and sat down besides Marianne.

"Alright, Today I've decided that...this is a freestyle class - you can swim however you like" Byleth announced her surprise to the kids, earning cries of joy and excitement from the kids.

"And...after this we'll go for ice cream. Sound good?" Byleth continued. earning even more cheers from the children - especially the youngest one, Lysithea von Ordelia, who loved to eat ice cream.

All the children leapt into the pool at once, making a giant splash of water that soaked Lysithea to the bone since she hadn't gone in the water yet.

"Hey!! I'm wet!" The small girl wailed as she tried to brush her wet hair from her face.

"Aren't you going in the water?" Byleth asked as she sat besides the tiny girl wearing a pink and orange striped bikini and purple armbands to match.

"I'm a little scared...I'm afraid I'll drown" Lysithea replied.

"I'll wait for you in the water and you can jump into my arms. Sound good?" Byleth offered.

"Yea...I'll try it. Only if you promise to catch me" Lysithea answered the older woman, trying to sound brave.

Byleth got into the pool and opened her arms for Lysithea to jump to her.

Meanwhile,most of the lion cubs had noticed Ashe's new swim shorts already and most of the boys liked it.

"Did you get new shorts? Dedue asked in amazement.

"Yea! My old pair got small so my dad bought these" Ashe replied as he waded around.

"I bet the girls would go 'woo' if I wore one of those" Sylvain stated.

"I'm not gonna go 'woo' if you wear something like that" Ingrid retorted as she emerged from the water after a dive.

Marianne was clinging to the pool edge as if scared, Hilda swam over to ask what was wrong.

"What's wrong? Are you scared of the deep water?" Hilda asked her friend.

"Yes...I'm just a little nervous" Marianne replied gently.

Lysithea was getting ready to jump into Byleth's arms and after a few moments, She leapt into her arms and Byleth lowered her into the water and let her float by herself.

"I CAN SWIM!" She beamed proudly as she waded around with her armbands on.

"Wow! you did it!" Marianne complimented her friend as she kicked off the pool wall into a dive.

"Teacher! Do you like my swimsuit?" Annette asked as she swam up to Byleth in her blue one-piece swimsuit with a ruffled skirt.

"It's been quite a while, How about we get some ice cream before we all go home" Byleth announced late in the afternoon as the kids were playing.

"Yea! let's go eat ice cream" Lysithea and some other kids cheered as Jeralt brought out tiny ice creams on a tray.

Byleth and Jeralt watched endearingly as the little swimmers of their's nommed the ice creams up in a flash.

On the way home

"Today was so fun!" Ashe told his dad about today's lesson in the car as they drove home.

"See, that's why i made you go today, if you didn't you would have missed all the fun" His dad replied from behind the wheel.

"Yea...zzz" Ashe was about to say something else but fell asleep from all the fun he had.

"He's had too much fun today, rest up, kiddo.Tomorrow's got more fun waiting" His dad concluded the conversation.


	7. The top chef

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dedue has always loved cooking ever since he was a little boy and today he has the chance to be cooking (or assisting in cooking) for a young Dimitri and his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri and Dedue will be sharing a chapter in this.

"I'm here now!" Dimitri called as he leapt out of his car as his father and mother soon followed.

"Dimitri!" Dedue called as he ran out to greet him, wearing a chef's outfit and hat as his family came out to greet the blond boy and his family.

"Who are..." Dedue's little sister asked shyly, she was hiding behind her mother's back.

"This's Dimitri. He's one of my friends at school" He introduced Dimitri to his little sister as Dimitri walked up to his friend's sister.

"You're tiny. Are you sure you're the same age as big brother?" Dedue's sister asked innocently, unaware that it was an insensitive topic. as Dimitri was only an inch or two taller than her and almost a head shorter than Dedue.

"That's rude!" Their mother scolded the girl for speaking so insensitively to her brother's friend.

"It's okay, I don't mind" Dimitri replied playfully before following Dedue into their house.

"Whoa! Everything is in ONE room! This is amazing!" Dimitri exclaimed at the duscur boy's house in amazement, his house had separate rooms.

"Yes,the kitchen is here, outside is the bathroom, we all sleep here, just out there is the garden that somehow leads to the forest which my parents keep telling us 'don't go in there'. Dedue showed his friend around their abode,opening and closing doors as he went.

"I'll be cooking for all of us this lunch" Dedue proudly offered to his house guests.

"Son! I'll help you with the catering as well" His dad offered too.

"The lunch will be a surprise for Dimitri, No one tell him or let him near the kitchen until I say so" Dedue suggested as he tied an apron around him and his dad started preparing the mystery lunch.

"Then I'm going out to play now!" Dimitri called as he raced out into the garden to marvel at the nature of Duscur.

Dimitri was amazed by how many trees and plants were in the garden, He spotted a large tree and then proceeded to climb it. He snapped off a small stick from one of the branches of the tree, Feeling curious, he proceeded to stab a beehive, sending bees swarming him as he lost grip of the branch and fell out of the tree.

Lambert, who had been taking in the sun whilst reading the paper he brought along, heard his son wail for help as he plummeted to the ground.

"Son! Papa's coming, Don't worry" He called as he instinctively dashed to where his son would be falling in an attempt to catch him.

"DAD! Help!" Dimitri wailed in panic as he fell, his eyes pinched shut from fear as tears slipped through his eyelids.

"Gotcha!" Lambert exclaimed as he caught his son in his arms, moments before the tiny boy hit solid terra-forma.

"Waaaaahhhh...that was so scary...." Dimitri wailed and clung onto his dad for dear life for a few moments to calm himself down after the ordeal.

"Lunch is served!" Dedue proudly announced as he took the dishes and laid them out on the dining table before coming to get his friend.

Dimitri trotted inside to the smell of deliciously cooked duscur food. and when he washed his hands,sat down and had a bite. His eyes lit up like stars.

"This is SO GOOD!" He exclaimed happily as he devoured the meal, his table manners all gone out the window.

"You look like you haven't ate in ages, my son" His mom teased as she wiped Dimitri's face with a napkin, Dimitri trying to turn away from his mom but was grabbed first.

"Oopsie! It was so good" Dimitri sheepishly admitted as he excused himself to play with Dedue, who had also finished eating and was keen to teach his friend some traditional duscur games.

"Son! Time to go now" Lambert called after a long while of playing.

"Already?!?" The boys whined as they were in the middle of a game that Dedue had taught Dimitri.

"We'll play again soon, alright?" Lambert offered as he picked up a crying Dimitri and cordially left for home, Dimitri crying himself to sleep on the way home.


End file.
